Due Date
by DarkenedVoice
Summary: Having a dead line has it's perks. It makes you work harder, you lazy around less, you get things done. All in all most people agree it's a good thing. Not me. Not when the dead line you have is the dead line for your life. Yep that's me Sakura, not even 20 years in my life and my due date is coming fast. AU


Due Date

That's when it happened, when my whole world fell apart. I would never forget those words. They had come to me with such force that all I can remember is falling down, down, way down...

When I woke up, I was in a bright room with nice, light green wall paper. The whole room was lit by the small window in which the sun pored through. I was in a hospital bed, with my mom gracefully sitting by my side. Her eyes were red from crying. That's when I remembered.

I had been going to the hospital for my yearly check up when they told me I had a problem. I was so sure it was nothing because I had never felt sick or felt like anything was really wrong with me. Then they told me I was going to die; I fainted, and everything went wrong.

Now I'm sitting in the hospital bed, how could this happen? Nothing had ever been wrong with me; I was supposed to have my whole life ahead of me. I would go to university, get married, and have kids. No! This must be a mistake! Why me? Why me!?

I cried then, the tears slowly sliding down my cheeks. It's salty taste stinging my lips. I could feel my mom's arm go around me; she was holding me so lightly as though I would break into tiny pieces if she squeezed to hard. I could hear her muttering words at me, but they were muffled by my loud wails. I cried and cried until I had no more tears left.

"Honey," My mom softly said after a while, "You know, everything is going to be fine."

"No! Mom," I exploded, "Nothing is fine, I'm going to die in a freaking week! I can't just go around thinking things are going to fix themselves, Mom, because they're not!"

My mom then shut up, surprised at my sudden explosion of emotions but it made her realize the same thing too, there were not cures to this, there were no ways out. I was stuck in a corridor with only one door, the door to death.

"Sakura, you can't live in the past," My mom told me after a while.

"I know, Mom, I know. I just don't know how."

"You have to make the most of your last few days here." My mom said, she made it sound like I was just leaving for a vacation. My heart tightened at the thought of my impending death.

"If I'm going to die I might as well do some crazy things before I go." I answered trying hard to make my mom feel like she's helped me. Even if that comment made me feel even more empty inside.

"Well honey, the doctor said you could do what ever you want for the next six days."

"Well, um... I always wanted to go bungee jumping."

"That's a good start honey. Let me just get a piece of paper and a pencil for you."

My mom got up and made her way to her purse. It was sitting on a chair that was near the window. It was the only piece of furniture in the room other then the bed. As my mom got to her purse a piercing sound filled the room. Her cell phone. My mom quickly took it out and brought it to her ear.

"Hello?" She said.

"...Oh, she's fine. She woke up a few minutes ago," My mom spoke into the phone.

"...They can come in if they want, I was leaving anyways," She answered,

"Okay see you soon," My mom said.

"Love you too." My mom added before hanging up.

"What was that about?" I asked my mom.

"Oh, that was your dad. He called asking if you had woken up. He also said that Naruto and Sasuke are in the waiting room ready to come and see you." My mom answered as she reached for the door and stepped into the hallway.

"Okay cool," I grinned, "Bye mom, see you later," She closed the door and I could hear her slowly walking away.

Naruto is my best friend, and he is the complete opposite of me, as they say opposites attract. He is really tall and lean with bright blue eyes that look great with his blond hair. See, I am a short stocky girl with green eyes and pink hair. Then, there is Sasuke he's my other best friend. He's tall with short black hair, his eyes are icy black. He and Naruto have been going out since right before high school. They are the cutest gay couple in the world. They're going to be sophomores in September. But I won't be there any more. A knock on the door took me out of my thoughts before I started crying.

"Come in!" I called. The door opened and in came Naruto and Sasuke .

"Oh, Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed as he ran to the bed, "I'm going to miss you so much!"

"I'm not dead yet," I responded in a neutral tone.

"We're so sad!" Sasuke sobbed. Then he and Naruto pulled me into one of those bear hugs. I was glad that my friends were here. They are always there for me.

"Hey guys, do you want to come and do some bungee jumping with me?" I asked

"Why would you do that Sakura?" Naruto responded.

"Because I am going to die and I want do some bungee jumping before that happens." I answered.

"Sakura," she said, "I'd love to go do some bungee jumping with you. You'll come too right, Sasuke?"

"Yeah, anything for you, Sakura." Sasuke answered, "And hey we could do other crazy stuff too, do you have any other ideas?"

"No, but can you guys help me find some more," I explained.

"How about scuba diving?" Sasuke asked without hesitation.

"Oh, I've never done that," I replied.

"Oh. Oh. I got one," Naruto said.

"Shoot!" I exclaimed.

"How about hang gliding? I heard it was really fun," He said enthusiastically.

"What's that?" Sasuke and I said in unison.

"Well, from what I heard, it's when you take a really big kite and go to the top of a hill. Then you jump off and, I think, you glide in the air," Naruto described.

"Oh. My. God. That sounds like so much fun!" I giggled at the thought of hang gliding.

"Yeah it sounds cool," Sasuke said, taking is arm and wrapping it around Naruto.

"Hey guys," I said.

"Yeah?" They said.

"How does sky diving sound?" I asked.

"Oh, great!" They said.

They looked at each other and laughed. Sasuke smiled and brought his had up to stroke Naruto's jaw. Naruto shivered and grabbed Sasuke's hair and brought him in close. It looked like he whispered something in Sasuke's ear. But I couldn't hear it, they giggled and kissed once then twice and I had enough. Not that I didn't like them displaying affecting, I had seen much worse, but I just wasn't able to stomach it today. It might have had something to do with the fact that I was going to die soon, but you never know.

"I'm going to go for a walk." I said, interrupting there light kisses and reminding them that there was someone else in the room.

"Sakura, you know you–-" Naruto objected as he looked up at me, but I interrupted him.

"No. Naruto, I need a walk" I grunted. With that Naruto fell silent. Sasuke and him stared at me from the end of the bed. I got up in a sitting position with my legs dangling. I took my shoes out from under the bed and slipped them on my feet. Then slipped off the bed. My legs buckled under my weight. But before I could touch the ground, a strong arm caught me.

"If I were you, I would be more careful," said a strong, masculine voice. I looked up to find a handsome guy that appeared to be a few years older then me. "Hi I'm Kakashi, I volunteer here."

"Um... Hi I'm Sakura," I stuttered, still stunned by his beautiful face. He had Shaggy white hair that made me want to run my hands through it. But it was his eyes that captured me, they were black, but with a tint of red.

"Here let me help you out of this room so we can give you're friends some privacy," Kakashi said tilting his gorgeous face toward my friends who were whispering and gazing at each other. I don't think they even knew Kakashi was in the room.

"K-k-Kay," I stuttered. "Thanks for catching me before I hit the ground," I managed to say.

"Oh no problem," He said while offering his hand to me. I gladly took it, knowing that I look really bad sitting there, plus it was totally killing my butt. He pulled me up slowly to make sure I didn't fall again.

As soon as we were out the door he whispered, "I'm so sorry." He said it so softly I almost didn't hear him.

"Bout what?" I asked.

"About your disease," Kakashi answered as softly as before.

"Oh, that. Wow, I don't event know what my own disease is, would you mind telling me what it is?" I asked a casually as I could.

"Well... Um..." He sounded really uncomfortable.

"Don't worry you can tell me I don't like not knowing what's going on."

"Oh, okay I guess. Well I heard that your lungs are not strong enough to contain all that air, and that in a weeks time they are going to collapse inside your body and you wont be able to breath and then you'll die."

"Harsh, much?" I said trying to sound funny, that's what I do. Some people when they are scared think of their life as a movie, some think different types of phobias. Well I don't like letting other people know I'm scared so I try to laugh it out.

"O-Oh s-s-sorry," Kakashi stuttered, taken back by my sudden joke.

"Relax, I'm just kidding."

"I'm sorry, it's just really weird. I mean you're going to die in a week and you're cracking jokes. I was kind of shocked."

"Oh, that's just what I do I guess."

"Umm… I'm starting to like you."

"Well…Umm… Thanks I guess. Anyways thanks for catching me, I've got to go."

"Okay well see you later."

"Mabee."

"O, im sure you're going to see me again," He thought for a sec, "at the rate you're going very soon I think." Then he walked away. Very puzzled and confused I just shrugged it off I had better things to do.

Instead of walking and just thinking like I told my friends I decided to go to the cafeteria. I mean I was starving. I don't know the last time I ate, but it must have been a long time ago.

Well when I got to the "cafeteria", I found it was not a cafeteria, it was more like one drink vending machine and a food one. _Wow, they call this a cafeteria? _I wondered, _more like a snack room. Aw well, if this is all they got, then this is all they got. _

So I headed toward the vending machines, I had 10 bucks that my mom had given to me this morning. Yum, I thought, they have my favorite candy, and lime flavor too, the best.

I got a pack of those, they're not really healthy but I was hungry and I was in no mood to worry about that now. I moved over to the drink vending machine. It had water, obviously, it had a bunch of other stuff, but I didn't like them so I just settled with water.

In the bright yellow room there were few picnic tables. The picnic tables were painted brown, the ground was just a lighter color. I sat down at one of the picnic tables and started nibbling my food, after eating a few of the gummies my dad burst in the room. He was still wearing his suit; he had obviously just come from work and had not gotten changed. He silently made his way to me, and sat down next to me on the bench. For a few minutes he just sat there while I ate.

It had gotten really weird so I asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"I went to you're room but you weren't there, I asked you're friends where you had gone, they said just for a walk but–-"

"You knew better, you knew I'd come here. You know me too well, daddy," I should have known, I could not fool my dad, he knew me to well, see when I'm sad I eat, only my dad knows that.

"Yep, and I'm glad." He said and pulled me into a hug. For the first time in my life I saw my dad cry. He hadn't cried when our dog was put to sleep 3 years ago, not even when we learned that his mom had breast cancer.

I could feel the tears swell up in my eyes but I let them go down, they slowly rolled down my cheek. My dad and I cried together as if it were the last thing we would do, and the scary part was that it probably was.

When we were done I drank the rest of my water bottle since I probably drained all the water out of my body from crying. Then my dad and I walked together out of the snack room. When we got to my hospital room my dad told me we were leaving, so I then gathered my stuff and we left. What was next on my list? Sky diving!

The wind wrapped around me like a fussy blanket, but it didn't keep me warm instead, it chilled my bones. The air around was just like a snowstorm the wind was ice freezing my nose, my feet were numb, my tank top was tight against my chest.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Naruto asked from behind me, it sounded like he was asking himself, he was scared and I could tell. I looked down, the ground it was 3500 feet below us.

"Yep, I'm sure," I said, I turned around to look at Naruto. Sasuke had his arm around him protectively, they were sitting on the only bench in the plane. My dad had gotten us a private lesson. So the only other person on the plane was the driver.

"We're coming up to the jumping zone, get ready!" The captain told us. Naruto and Sasuke got up and walked over to where I was standing.

Naruto took one look outside the plane and said, "I can't do this." He put her head against Sasuke's chest.

Sasuke took his head in his hand, "You can do this. For Sakura!"

"For Sakura" He said but he was still shivering.

"TEN SECONDS!" the captain shouted from the front.

"We can do this!" I said taking Naruto's hand, "We can do this!" Naruto looked at me.

"Yes, we can," Naruto said, he then took Sasuke's hand.

"FIVE SECONDS!"

We were all breathing hard, we were about to jump off a plane that was 3500 feet above ground.

"THREE SECONDS!"

"TWO SECONDS!"

"ONE SECOND!"

"GO! JUMP!"

Without one look at my friends, I let go of Naruto's hand and jumped. When I imagined sky diving I thought it would be more like a peaceful fall as you reflected all the things you've done in you're life. Well obviously I was wrong, as soon as I had jumped a high screech filled my ears, it took me a full second to realize it was my voice. Yes I was screaming, I'm sure no one heard me. It took me an other second to realize that I was not the only one screaming. Right beside me Naruto, was screaming his face of as he tried to hang on to Sasuke, he look calmed enough. After I got over the fact that I was free falling, and remembered that I had a parachute. It was nice, we were almost at the part where we were supposed to take out our parachutes. Kakashi had said that my parents and a bunch of other people would be waiting for us on the ground; all we had to do is look for them. Then, when they started waving their hands we would pull the string and the parachute would come out. Easy? Yeah. Was I still scared? Totally. After about half minute Naruto stopped screaming. He then glided over to where I was and took my hand so that we wouldn't part.

"So how's it going!" I shouted

"This is so cool!" he shouted back.

"You know I never thought it would be so thrilling!" I shouted.

"Hey guys," Sasuke hollered, "I see them! I think we should pull the line now!"

"Okay! Lets part!" I answered loudly. I let go of Naruto's hand and instantaneously the wind tore us apart. I sensed something was wrong the wind kept pushing me farther and farther away from my friends. I was still charging towards the ground so I pulled the cord and that's when things got really bad. The parachute caught a wind current, which was not good. I got tossed to the left then to the right over and over again. My body was bruised up within seconds.

RRRIIIPPPPPPP

Oh, no please no, I begged, I don't want to die like this. The parachute had just ripped. Oh wait there should be an extra, I thought. I reached for my backpack, but instead found just my bare back. I looked up to my parachute and saw my backpack still attached. It had been my straps that had broken. I took one last look at my parents on the ground, who were trying to get to me. It was hopeless, so I just closed my eyes hoping for the best and I plugged towards my death.

When I woke up I looked right into my dad's eyes. There was a problem though, he didn't smile, he didn't say anything, didn't signal to the others that I was awake, he just kept crying. I didn't want to move, my dad looked so fragile, like if I moved he would just explode into millions of pieces, so I waited for him to notice me. After a few seconds he got up and walked away. WHAT! I thought, I had almost died and he didn't event acknowledge that I was awake. Its okay, I calmed my self down, I'll just surprise them. I pushed myself up into sitting position; I was in a hospital bed again. My parents were talking to a nurse at the door, it was weird that they hadn't noticed me yet. I got up and walked over to them.

"Hey I'm awake!" I said, they didn't do anything just kept talking.

"I'm sorry there was nothing we could do," The nurse said, "she was already dead when you got here."

"Hey! I'm not dead yet" I said trying to stay strong. They thought I was dead.

"Are you sure?" my dad asked,

"Yes we are positive, her lungs collapsed when she hit the ground." The nurse answered.

"I. AM. NOT. DEAD," I shouted

"That won't do anything they can't hear you," someone said from behind me. I turned around and saw Naruto standing beside my body.

"W-Wh-What's going on." I stuttered, I was completely freaked out.

"You're dead Sakura, look" He pointed at a heart rate monitor, it was a strait line. I knew this meant that there was no pulse, It was scary, but it was even worse when I saw that it was attached to my body.

"No…No…But I'm talking to you and you're- Oh please don't tell, you're not-"I tripped and fell I tried to grab my dad's shoulder but my hand went right trough. "Oh this is not happening."

"Sakura, relax." Naruto was by my side helping me up.

"How did you-," I choked the word out,"-die?"

"I'm not sure."

"But I'm still taking to you?"

"It's because he's unconscious." Someone else said. Both of us turned, Kakashi was standing in the exact spot Naruto had been when I first seen him. The sight of my body made me my knees feel weak.

"What I thought I was dead?" Naruto said, "Who are you?"

"You don't know?" I asked him.

"No, should I?"

"Well he helped me up when you were with Sasuke."

"That's impossible there was no one in the room," He said. We both turn to Kakashi.

"What are you?" I asked

"I'll tell you later," He answered.

"No now!"

"I don't think so. You better say bye to you're friend he's going to wake up soon."

"Will I remember this?" Naruto asked Kakashi.

"Yes, But you will think it was a dream."

"Naruto. How did this-…"I was speechless again.

"When your parachute broke I unstrapped mine so I could reach the ground faster then catch you. I don't know how I managed to not kill myself in the landing but then I ran to where you were falling and tried to catch you. I caught you, it's just you were going so fast I collapsed when you landed on me. Then everything went black." He finished, no one spoke for a while. Then Naruto started to fade.

"Oh Naruto I'll miss you." I cried, he was completely transparent now.

"I….L…Ve… Ou" He said,

"I can't hear you," I whispered

"…Love…U" He managed to say. Then he was completely gone. I collapsed into Kakashi's arms, and cried, I didn't stop. Not even when Sasuke ran into the room and said that Naruto was awake. Kakashi didn't say anything, just kept holding me. After I stopped crying I asked Kakashi the same question as before.

"When I helped you up, you're friends didn't see me because they were alive."

"That does not make any sense, I was alive too." I stated

"Sorry I worded that wrong. They didn't see because they were never going to die, the only reason you could see me was because you were going to die"

"So you're a ghost for the almost dead."

"Yes and no. You were dying when I met you so half of you're soul was already out of you're body, that's why you could talk to me.

"But Naruto he was not dead back there?"

"Well he was unconscious, and when that happens your soul can go out of your body, and can talk to other souls who are out of their bodies."

"Like me and you, right?"

"Yeah, it's just that we won't be able to go back in our bodies, because they stopped working."

"One last question, why me? Why not some guy in another room."

"Because I was sent to bring you to you're next body."

"A new body?"

"Yes, you're being reincarnated. Follow me you're new body is in this hospital." Kakashi led me down the hall to a room where there was a screaming woman. I think she was giving birth.

"All you have to do is go in the child when it comes out."

"What happens if I don't?" I asked

"Then it dies, a body needs a soul,"

"Will I remember anything?"

"Ah, you ask me that every time."

"What do you mean? Have I had lives before this one?"

"Yes, you have been reincarnated exactly 20 time's before this. Do you remember anything from you're other lives?"

"No."

"Then do you think you will remember anything from this one?"

"No. Kakashi are you my guardian angle?"

"You could say that, but I don't have wings. It would be cool if I did." He said looking at his back. I laughed for the first time in a long time. "You better get ready Tsukia, the baby's coming" He pointed at the woman who was still screaming.

"What did you call me?"

"You're new name."

"That's what they are going to call me?" I asked, I looked at the woman then at the only other guy who was in the room.

"Yes" he said.

"It's coming!" A Nurse exclaimed.

"Bye, see you when you die again," Kakashi said, he winked at me then disappeared. I turned around and readied myself. I was going to restart, get a new chance at life, a new family, for a second I thought about my dad, my mom and Naruto. But I knew better, you can't live in the past you have to embrace the future. And that's exactly what I did.


End file.
